Methods and devices to provide common user interface mode based on images

Abstract

A method and electronic devices to provide a common user interface mode on a first electronic device and a second electronic device are described. The first electronic device and the second electronic device each comprise a camera. In one aspect, the method comprises: capturing a first image on the first electronic device; receiving a second image which was captured on the second electronic device at approximately the same time that the first image was captured; determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image; and entering a common user interface mode in which a display associated with the first electronic device and a display associated with the second electronic device operate cooperatively and in which the orientation of a common user interface displayed on the displays is determined in accordance with the determined relative orientation.

1 . A method of providing a common user interface mode on a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device and the second electronic device each comprising a camera, the method comprising:
 capturing a first image on the first electronic device;   receiving a second image which was captured on the second electronic device at approximately the same time that the first image was captured;   determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image; and   entering a common user interface mode in which a display associated with the first electronic device and a display associated with the second electronic device operate cooperatively.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image comprises:
 identifying at least one common feature in the first image and the second image and determining the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the common features.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising, prior to capturing a first image on the first electronic device and receiving the second image:
 emitting electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device from a side of the first electronic device or the second electronic device associated with the camera of that device,   and wherein identifying common features in the first image and the second image comprises identifying the electromagnetic radiation in the first image and the second image.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cameras are configured to capture at least some electromagnetic radiation which is not in the visible spectrum. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane and if the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane, triggering the capture of the first image on the first electronic device and the second image on the second electronic device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein entering a common user interface mode comprises:
 selecting a side of each of the first electronic device and the second electronic device as a shared side based on the first image and the second image,   and wherein a user interface displayed on the displays is oriented based on the shared side.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the shared side is the nearest edges of the display of the first electronic device and the display of the second electronic device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cameras on the first electronic device and the second electronic device are front facing cameras. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in accordance with the relative orientations of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, selecting one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device to act as a master device and the other to act as a slave device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image comprises:
 calculating transformation information specifying the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the capturing of the first image on the first electronic device and the second image on the second electronic device are triggered in response to the occurrence of at least one predetermined trigger condition. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises two cameras to obtain three dimensional information and wherein the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is determine based on the three dimensional information. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in the common user interface mode the orientation of a common user interface displayed on the displays is determined in accordance with the determined relative orientation 
     
     
         15 . A first electronic device comprising:
 a camera;   a communication subsystem to establish wireless communications with a second electronic device;   a display; and   a processor, the processor being configured to:
 capture a first image on the first electronic device; 
 receive a second image which was captured on a second electronic device at approximately the same time that the first image was captured; 
 determine a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image; and 
 enter a common user interface mode in which a display associated with the first electronic device and a display associated with the second electronic device operate cooperatively. 
   
     
     
         16 . A method to determine a relative orientation of a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device and the second electronic device each comprising a camera, the method comprising:
 determining that the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented on a common plane and, in response, triggering an image capture on the first electronic device and the second electronic device at a common time; and   based on the images, determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic device of  claim 15  wherein the processor is further configured to:
 prior to capturing a first image on the first electronic device and receiving the second image, emitting electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device from a side of the first electronic device or the second electronic device associated with the camera of that device, 
 and wherein determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image comprises identifying the electromagnetic radiation in the first image and the second image and determining relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the electromagnetic radiation. 
 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine whether the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane and if the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane, triggering the capture of the first image on the first electronic device and the second image on the second electronic device.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the camera is configured to capture at least some electromagnetic radiation which is not in the visible spectrum. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device of  claim 15 , wherein the camera on the first electronic device is a front facing camera.